Sabbatical Productivity: April

I am on sabbatical this semester and have been keeping a list in my journal of the academic activities I engage in. This practice is partly for myself, so that I make sure I am using the time productively, and partly for my institution, which requires me to write a report about the sabbatical once it finishes. Here is a list of what I accomplished in April, generally in chronological order. I did less than in previous months (you can read about what I accomplished in March here) because it’s been difficult to be productive due to the pandemic. I feel like I am slowly getting back on track, though.

1. Updated the Mennonite/s Writing Bibliographies and blog throughout the month.

2. Worked on revisions to my website.

3. Got an update that an essay collection on Ana Castillo’s work that I have a piece in passed peer review and will be published next year.

4. Finished sending acceptance emails for the Mennonite/s Writing IX conference scheduled to take place in October.

5. Submitted three senryu to a journal.

6. Finished and submitted a poem about the pandemic to a journal.

7. Finished a draft of an essay about Mennonite literature for an essay collection on present-day Anabaptist vitality. I had been working on it for a while before the pandemic and it was totally kicking my butt, so it felt like a huge triumph to be able to get back into my writing routine enough to be able to finish it this month. Most days I was only able to write a paragraph or two, but sometimes that is enough.

8. Finished a book that a journal has asked me to review and worked on notes for the review.

9. Wrote a blurb for a forthcoming book on Amish sexuality.